Bristolians walk more frequently than any other form of urban transport, new research reveals.
Walking is the main mode of travel in our city, with 57% of residents saying they do the exercise at least five days a week. This compares to just 25% who use a car at least five days per week. A further 10% cycle and 6% use public transport – making active travel by far the most popular form of transport.
Walking, wheeling and cycling unlock health benefits for everyone. Active travel is estimated to have prevented 25,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions, 916 serious long-term health conditions and takes up to 140,000 cars off the road. Walking alone saves the NHS £4.6 million, which is the equivalent of 150,000 GP appointments every year.
However, not all residents feel safe and welcome in their neighbourhood. Only 59% of disabled people think walking safety is good, compared to 74% of non-disabled people Only 60% of people in the lowest socio-economic group feel welcome and comfortable walking or spending time on the streets of their neighbourhood, compared to 80% of the highest socio-economic group
Only 48% of people believe it is safe for children to walk in their local area. The Index also found that a similar proportion of women (59%) and men (57%) walk in Bristol, but men cycle more than women – 34% compared to 21% – plus fewer women think the level of cycling safety is good (35%) in comparison to men (40%)
Residents want better streets, with 78% saying that nicer places along streets to stop and rest for example more benches, trees and shelters would encourage them to walk or wheel more. A total of 81% of people support the creation of 20-minute neighbourhoods where amenities and services, such as shops, green space and GPs are located within a twenty-minute return walk or wheel of where they live.
Many people want more government spending on walking (55%), cycling (61%) and public transport in Bristol (74%). And 65% agreed that increasing space for people socialising, walking, and cycling on their local high street would improve their local area.
Sarah Leeming, Interim Director of Sustrans for the South of England, said: “The residents of Bristol overwhelmingly support measures to help more people walk, wheel or cycle their journeys. They welcome developments in active travel and are keen to invest more public funds to make it more widely accessible for everyone and provide alternatives to the car.
“The report provides clear evidence that walking, wheeling and cycling are the most popular forms of urban transport in Bristol, but it also highlights how many more groups of people could benefit if conditions were improved. Walking and wheeling have significant benefits for our health and economy and there is huge potential to support more residents to choose these healthier, more environmentally friendly forms of transport thus reducing our carbon emissions from cars.
“People want to see safer streets with less traffic. They don’t want outdated and unmaintained pavements, crossing points that make walking and wheeling unsafe or inaccessible, and vehicles parked on pavements getting in their way. It is especially important to shine a spotlight on walking given it is the main mode of travel in Bristol and other cities in the project and we are pleased this latest report provides comprehensive data and survey results for both walking and wheeling for the first time since we began these surveys in 2015.”
Councillor Don Alexander, Bristol City Council’s Cabinet Member for Transport, said: “It’s great to see that our residents are leading the way nationally when it comes to embracing active travel. We are committed to making walking and cycling and bus journeys better and safer across the city, as we want to make sure there are active travel alternatives, especially for shorter journeys.
"Along with all the health benefits, it also helps us to keep our road network operating smoothly, while helping us to deliver clean air and become a carbon-neutral and climate-resilient city. We are delivering a number of ambitious projects to make it easier for people to walk, cycle and wheel across the city, including pedestrianising the Old City, installing protected cycle lanes and piloting our first liveable neighbourhood in east Bristol.
“As May is National Walking Month, it’s the perfect time to discover some new local walks by taking part in Bristol Walk Fest or downloading the Go Jauntly app.”
Sustrans’ Walking and Cycling Index, the first such national study for urban areas, surveyed more than 24,000 people across England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland – representative of a total population of over 13 million people – as part of the biennial Walking and Cycling Index, formerly known as Bike Life.
In Bristol, more than a thousand people were surveyed for Sustrans’ Walking and Cycling Index to explore their attitudes towards walking and cycling in their city. The data was collected between June and August 2021 and shows data on walking for the first time. The report was produced for Bristol by Sustrans in partnership with Bristol City Council.
Read the Bristol Walking and Cycling Index here.
